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Reading And Writing For Your Health
The last time someone
talked to you about reading and writing, it may have been years ago, in your
school days. While reading and writing are the fundamentals that the rest of
our education is based on, they are not always habits that take root and continue to enrich our lives throughout the
years. Many people are content to watch the TV or listen to the radio in lieu
of cuddling up with a good novel, or anxiously thumbing through a heavy
newspaper on a Sunday morning. Our modern world also affords us plenty of
opportunities to stay in touch that don't involve pencils and paper. Cell
phones, web cams, email and chat have all made letter writing seem redundant,
and with the rise of the debit card, most of us rarely even write a check any
more. However, for some, the allure of the written word is absolutely
irresistible.
You know the type, always
carrying a library card, and anxious to tell you about the interesting article
they “read just the other day.” The bookworm paws through the cluttered shelves
of the local bookstore, while the info-junkie is glued to her computer screen,
attempting to follow three breaking news stories at once. For some, reading –
and writing – are not only fundamental skills, they are a reason to live. For
these folks, a cup of coffee, a sturdy chair, and an 800 page copy of War
and Peace have “great weekend” written all over them. However, as we get
older, it can become difficult for us to maintain our love of letters.
Clearly, our vision is crucial
to our ability to enjoy reading. As we age, keeping up with the latest
adventures by our favorite authors - or the weekly rantings of our local
newspaper columnists - can become more difficult, as various conditions can
begin to rob us of our sight. Age related macular degeneration, cataracts,
glaucoma, and complications from diabetes can all affect our ability to see
correctly. Any of these conditions can make our usual reading and writing
habits difficult to maintain.
In addition to the various
conditions that can affect our sight as we age, many of us will also experience
difficulties with our strength and dexterity, especially in our hands and
fingers. The pain, swelling, and fatigue of arthritis, and other conditions
that affect our strength and stamina, can serve to rob us of our love of words.
Even carrying a book can become a challenge for folks with more pronounced
difficulties, and the precise movements required in turning one page to the
next can quickly become an exercise in frustration. For the letter writers,
diarists, and would-be poets among us, these conditions can turn wielding a pen
into an unwieldy situation indeed.
In addition to the
remarkable quality of life that reading and writing can bring to your days, the
latest medical information suggests that reading and writing are more than
pleasant diversions: your health may depend on them. In any list of
preventative measures to avoid the onset of Alzheimer's disease you are likely
to find both reading and writing. If you take the time to read everyday, you
will be strengthening your brain, and acting to prevent the onset of
Alzheimer's. When you take the time to read something challenging and
thought-provoking, you increase the activity in your brain, and encourage the
growth of new neural connections. You are literally growing your brain through
the exercise of reading the way you would grow a muscle through physical
exercise. In addition, writing is an amazing brain booster. The brain activity
that takes place when we write is profoundly more pronounced than even when we
are talking to our friends. Simply journaling for a few minutes every day can
be a great discipline that can reward you with less stress, more enjoyment of
life, and a healthy, active brain.
Remaining an active reader
and writer may only require a few products that can help you stay active with
your word-passion, while keeping your
brain healthy and fit. If you have trouble seeing, and it's affecting your
ability to read or write, why not try the I-VU
Personal Vision Assistant. This device can
make reading as easy as ever. For more convenience, a small magnifying light
like The
Ultrathin Pocket Magnifier can allow you to
carry your device everywhere you go. The small light also allows you to keep on
reading even after your partner has turned in for the night. If arthritis is keeping you from your
writing habit a Ring Pen may be just what the doctor ordered. The
Ring Pen is a special pen that fits around
your ring finger, relieving your hand of much of the strength and pressure it
normally takes to write. The Pen can be a wonderful way to stay in touch with
your loved ones, or just satisfy that writing habit.
Active and Able: Daily Living Made Easier
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